As we approach the most frightening night of the year – when ghouls and goblins arrive at our doorsteps begging for votes – it’s a comfort to know that movies filled with fiery images of mass destruction have fallen out of favor.

In their place comes a film that harks back to a simpler, more romantic era, when murders were committed individually and by hand.

I’m talking, of course, about “From Hell,” the latest Jack the Ripper incarnation, which has been a top box-office draw since opening last weekend.

Naturally, Ripper costumes have risen to No. 1 on Kmart’s Biggest Meanie of the Year list, edging out Osama bin Laden and Paula Poundstone.

Watching the Ripper turn London streetwalkers into cold deli platters no doubt offers Americans a sense of solace during this difficult time.

Plus, it beats staying home on Saturday night so we can wash our mail.

Consider how thoughtfully the Ripper goes about his business.

Dressed in top hat and tails, he first offers his victims a bunch of grapes and a glass of brandy, with the option to supersize at no charge.

Next he takes them for a spin around the neighborhood in his new carriage, pointing out where Charles Dickens shot the “Consider Yourself” scene from “Oliver!”

Only then does he reach for his surgical implements, asking his victims to hold real still because it’s dark and foggy and he doesn’t want to stab himself by accident.

If that weren’t enough, he very considerately contacts the coroner’s office the next day to make sure they arrived safely in 10 pieces.

All of which makes his story so compelling, it can be retold every few years, without having to fork over royalties to the British royal family.

Today’s terrormongers, by contrast, possess none of the panache that made Jack the Ripper a Hollywood mainstay.

These sandy psychopaths are clueless when it comes to romance. No self-respecting woman of ill repute would fall for a guy who rails against public displays of feet, particularly after she’s been asked to go Dutch for the evening.

Nor would she be too thrilled if, after just two minutes, he leaves with her best bed sheets wrapped around his head.

So as we embark upon the holiday season, let’s hope that our enemies learn something from films like “From Hell.”

If you happen to be a stage-struck evildoer, drop the desert wear and go for the tux.